Street-sweeper.



PATENTED MAY 1'; 1906. P. A. SHELBY. STREET SWEEPER.

APPLICATION FILED 0 0120, 1904.

2 snsms sngm 1.

Inven'k'or PQZQFA. fiizleg Witnesses UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE."

PETER A. SHELBY. OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

STREET-SWEEPER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

:atentedMay 1, 1906.

Application filed October 20, 1904. Serial No- 229,304.

receptacle carried y the machine.

A further object of the invention is to prov de a dirt-gathering machinein which the dirt and dust are taken up by a traveling con- -veyer orendless belt from which the lighter particles of dust are removed as thebelt travels, the latter delivering stones and other heavier articles toa suitable receptacle.

A stil further object of the invention is to provide a dust-gatheringdevice formed of a number of independently-yieldable sections,

so arranged as topermit of their freely passing over any immovableobstruction which .may be encountered, without injury to the machine.

With these and other objects in view, as will more fully hereinafterappear, the invention consists 11] certain novel features ofconstruction and arrangement of arts hereinafter fullydescribed,illustrated 1n the accompanying dranings, and particularlypointed out in theappended claims, it being understood that variouschanges in the form, proportions, size, and minor details of thestructure may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificingany of the adven ta 'es of the invention.

in the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 1s a side elevation of astreet-cleaning machine constructed 1n accordance with the inven-' tion.Fig.2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the same on the line 2 2ofFig. 3. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of themachine, parts being brokenaway in order to more clearly illustrate the construction. Fig. 4 is asectional lan view of a ortion of the machine.

Fig. 5 IS a detail sectional, view of theiowerportion of thedust-gathering device. Similar numerals of reference are employed toindicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of thedrawings.

The working parts of the apparatus are mounted on a Wheeled frame .10,that preferably is formed of iron or-steel, the froir". of the framebeing reduced in width and having a goosencck 11, under which the frontwheels may in part pass when the machine is being turned. On the rigidaxle 12 is loosely mounted a. pair of wheels 13 of comparatively largediameter, and to one of them is secureda large sprocket-wheel 1t and agear-wheel 15, from which movement is transnntt ed to the variousworking parts of the mechanism.

The front, sides, and rear of the machine are inclosed by a casing 16,the lower portion 17 of which extends down close to the surface of theground in order to prevent as far as possible the escape of dust.Projecting inward from the inner l'acesol' the side portions 17 of the,casings are scrapers 18, which act to direct the dirt inward toward thecenter of the machine. These scrapers are formed of any suitablematerial, and when acting on smooth-surfaced strectssuch, for instance.as those formed of asphalt-they will act as scrapers. Extendingtransversely across the casing at a pointadjacent to the scrapers is abrush 19, which may be formed of any suitable material and preferably isheld down in contact with the surface to be cleaned by means of suitablesprings. In this connection it is to be noted that the supporting-barsfor the brushes and scrapers form the lower part of the casing and areconnected to the' upper part thereof by suitable springs 20 of anydesired character, these springs being preferably seated in recesses 21,formed in the side bars of the frame, as illustrated in Fig. 3. T hescrecesses extend for the full length of the frame members and receive thelower edges of the upper portion of the casing, so as to form atelescopic joint through which little or no dust can escape. Excessivemovement is prevented by pins 21.

At a pointto the rear'of the brush and scrapers is arranged adirt-gathering elemen 25 in the form of a pivot-allyrnountedblade, saidblade being formed of a plurality of independently-movable sections 26,that may yield to conform-to irregularities of the surface beingcleaned. All-of the sections are mountedon a transversely-disposed bar27,

ICO

to the rear of which is a bar 27, carrying an below the movable sections26 ofthe dirtgathering blade, while the central portion of the spring issecured to the bar 2 The edge portions of the spring are provided withslits arranged approximately in alinement with the division-lines oi theblades 26, so that each blade may bev properly held down in contact withthe surface to be cleaned. Both edges of the spring, however, bear onthe sectibns 26, and should any section meet an immovable obstructionthat will ca'useit to yield bacluva-rdinstead of riding up the sectionwill turn on the pivot '27, slightly raising the pivot-bar andpermitting the secticn'to ride over the obstacle, after which the underside of the spring 27 will serve to re store-the section to its initialposition.

T he fraine isprovided with bearings for the support of atransversely-extending shaft 28, to which'are pivoted'two side bars 28,that carry at. their lower ends the cross-bar- 27.

On the shaft 28 is secured a roller 28 and at the lower portion of theside bars are arranged bearings for the support of a roller 29, an endless carrier passing over said rollers and carrying the heavierparticles of dirt up to a receptacle 32.

Theendless conveyeris operated from the geenwheel 15, the latterlnterrneslung with a from each other bye horizontal partition 39,

that extends to epoint close to the upper run of the conveyer; Above thepartition 39 is'a second artition 40, arranged on a. line slightlyinclined from the horizontal and disposed on s line substantially radialfrom the latter being a oovethe par; tion 4 shaft 34, so that it dividesthe cesing of the suctron-fenrnto an inteice and s n cr d, the

reerend of this partition is inclined upward, forming a shelf 41, thatis disposed approximatelyparellel with the'upper run of the-conveyer.

At a point above the partition iO is a wa-, ter-tank 42, held inpositionby straps 4:3, and in the lower portion of the tank are smalljetnozzles 44, through which minute jets of water are discharged ontothe partition 40. From the rear portion or" the water-tank extends acurved hood Un erthe hood a transversely-disposed shai't #18, fromwhit-ir adiete wings 49. The shaft 48 is extend-so out through one endof the casing :and is pro v vided with e. crank-handle 52 inord to perinit turning of the shaft and blades by hens.

In the operation of the device the machine is-drawn along the street byhorse oro'ther power, and the dust and dirt are engaged by the scrapers18 and moved forward toward dirt is loosened and disturbed byithe brushl9 and is gathered up by the collecting blade 20 2\nd. delivered to theendless belt 30, the heavier particles traveling up over the top roller28 and being deposited in the receiver v The tens 36 and 37 are revolvedfrom the and gearing 54, arranged at one side of the frame. Theblast-fen 37 direc ablast of air downward and rearward to that space between the partition 39 and the surface being swept and in advance of the,con eyer, and the collected dust is-driven upw rection of the arrow,but ai'ter'passing'heyond the rear end of the partition is drawn Ireptacle, means in.

inward in the directionef the arrow by the suction-M1136, and thence isdirected over the partition toward the fan. Vvhile passing under thenozzles 44, thedust iSIXlOiSiQIlQLi and is blown in this moistenedcondition against the vanes -19, any excess of moi? passing throughperforations 55 and it on the (Oll'VGffGT-lDGlt.

The vanes may be revolved from time as occasion requires by turn crank52 and the accuinnlated dirt through over the top, of the partition t].

.Prccurnulation of dirt on the apron or conveyer is prevented by theedge of the dirt-receptacle, which serves as a scraper for re-' movingadhering particles. 7

Having thus described the invention, what is claimedis- 1.v In a.street-sweeper, easing, e. dirt-receptacle-an endless conveyer forcarrying dirt upward to the receptacle, means for diranged within thecas ng in nt'of the cor f n n connection with the let:

dirt

onto the convoyer, a series of partitions disposed at angles obliquetothe plane of the ,conveyrr and forming stationary walls of thepassage, and fans or blowers for d' o bur-rents or" air through thepasse. tact "with the carry ycy and for iihdrawiit-g t a point in l .i 1advance of the dumping point of the convo 2 ea rpzirticles din.- L "tMILO conveyor, means for removing the. lighter particles of dust anddirt from said conveye sdvancc of the dumpinge o'int the lett thecenter. As the machine moves along sprocket-wheel 14 by a chain or link;belt'53 rd in the di-v reeting dirt onto the conveyor, partitions er w.is ssage, emu means for dil frame, a plurality ofindependently-yieldable 15 blade sections mounted on the pivot-bar,springs for holding said blades in operative position, said springsbeing approximately U-slmped in form and bearing on both-top and bottomof each section. 20

In testimony that'I claim the foregoing is my own I have hereto afiixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

' PETER A. SHELEY.

\Vitnesses:

J. H. Jocntnr, J12, ARCHIBALD BULLQCH.

